It’s the lucky recipient indeed who gets a bountiful, briny box of luxurious edibles for the holidays. Whether you are shopping for a friend or indulging yourself, there are a few things to know.
Oysters keep longer than you might think – especially if they are shipped directly from a farm or a reputable purveyor, you can hold them in your fridge for 10 days or longer. Don’t store them directly on ice in your fridge though – they are still alive, and they’re saltwater creatures, so melting ice water can kill them. The best practice is to put them in the back of your fridge (that’s the coldest part) with a damp towel over them. Always make sure the shells are tightly closed before consuming.
You’re always ready to party with a tin of EB Oysters around.
Caviar can keep much longer – six weeks or more if you haven’t opened the tin. You can store those tins on ice in the fridge, but I prefer putting them on ice packs –again in the back of the fridge –and changing them out every few days.
Much like all Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne, all caviar is fish roe, but not all roe is caviar. Caviar only comes from sturgeon – and any of the classic Russian varieties (Osetra, Beluga, Sevruga) is only available farmed. Wild varieties from the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea were fished to near extinction and are banned. U.S. Hackleback is the last domestic variety of sturgeon caviar still available wild. When shopping for caviar, ask where it’s from—cheap caviar may come from China, where regulations are not as strict as in the US or Europe.
If you’re looking for more options, be sure to check out my gift guide from last year
Do yourself a favor — just order this kit from SoPo Seafood. Uni brings your raw bar game to the … [+]
Last year, I had newly discovered the joys of topping an oyster with caviar. This year, SoPo introduced me to oysters topped with uni — this South Portland purveyor with deep Maine roots offers an outrageously delicious Maine Oyster, Caviar and Uni gift set ($129) featuring 12 Maine oysters, a tray of Maine sushi-grade uni (sea urchin), 2 ounces of wild Alaskan Salmon Roe and one ounce of wild American Hackleback Caviar. Top the freshly shucked oyster with uni and caviar or salmon roe —or heck, why not both?—for the freshest most luscious umami-bomb you will ever experience. Uni does not keep for long — it has a shorter shelf life than an open tin of caviar, so be sure you plan to eat it within a day or two of arrival.
Give an experience with your caviar – co-founder Petra Bergstein-Higby is passionate about educating people about these luxe fish eggs, so as an outgrowth of her store in San Francisco, she offers virtual caviar tastings. Meaning far-flung friends can all have kits shipped to them, then jump on a Zoom to indulge together to learn about the difference between Golden Osetra and Hackleback (and why one costs three times as much as the other). Tastings include three 10 gram jars of caviar, blini, crème fraîche, mother of pearl spoons, and a tin key packed in a branded cooler. If you just want caviar, of course they have you covered – they also have an impressive variety of caviar-themed gifts, from an adorable caviar key keychain for $8.50 to a Harwell Godfrey Caviar Pendant for $8,950
Word is that caviar on crab rangoons is next level delicious.
Alexis Cervasio, who is behind the wildly popular East Boston Oysters pop-up dinners, opened a brick-and-mortar grocery store last year, complete with mail-order caviar and other types of roe sold in fabulous tins – grab a half-kilo size of Bowfin ($250) to party like a boss. Cervasio suggests putting caviar on just about everything. She told me it’s even good on a Hoodsie – those ice cream cups with the peel-away top and the wooden spoon … not sure I’d put caviar on one of those, but if you’ve got some premium ice cream, it’s worth a try. Their tins, packed exclusively for them by luxury purveyor Browne Trading Co. in Maine, have a long shelf life – in the case of their neon-green wasabi Tobiko, which is perfect on an oyster, it can keep for months and months unopened. Each tin has a helpful best-by date. Of course, once it’s opened, like all other caviars, it should be consumed in few days.
Trust Fulton Fish Market for everything piscine — they have been around longer than the Brooklyn … [+]
One of the oldest fish markets in the U.S., Fulton Fish Market celebrated its 200th year anniversary this year, and it’s a one-stop shop for all things of the sea. The 400,000-square-foot market in Hunts Point, Bronx, sees up to two million pounds of fresh seafood arrive every day, making it the second largest fish market in the world (after Tokyo). Select from nine different types of oysters on any given day, representing East Coast and West Coast, from Kumamoto to Sassy Malpeque, or trust the fishmonger and order the Oyster of the Day, based on what looks amazing. Add Fulton’s Finest Domestic Caviar Assortment Package to enjoy tasting four premium caviars farmed in the United States. Their caviar is sourced from Paramount Caviar, which supplies many of the world’s Michelin star restaurants. Feel good about their packaging too – instead of Styrofoam, the shipping box is insulated with a biodegradable cotton liner made from 100 percent postindustrial content, which can also can be recycled anywhere that accepts household textiles.
Compare the Classic Grade (left) with Gold Reserve in Marshallberg’s Premium sampler, raised right … [+]
Favored by Boston chef Jeremy Sewall, this North Carolina company is the only producer of Russian sturgeon and Osetra caviar in the U.S., using only pure bred Osetra sturgeon. Osetra is known for having golden or amber color so, traditionally the more golden or light the color, the more expensive. The company breaks down its harvest into multiple different grades, from the Gold Reserve, which is the most golden in color with large eggs and buttery, nutty flavor, through the Royal Grade, with a butterscotch color, large 3 mm beads and buttery, nutty flavor. The Classic is darker, but otherwise essentially the same in quality and flavor. The Everyday Grade –because everyone needs a caviar to pop open after a hard day, generally has a softer texture or smaller bead size. Since it is shipped direct from the farm, and not repackaged from larger tins, I think their less expensive options compare favorably with more expensive grades shipped from overseas. Try the different grades with the Osetra sampler ($269) to see what you think.
This pretty tin would look lovely next to a bottle of Krug.
From a specialty grocery store in South Florida run by Ukrainian native and co-founder, Mark Zaslavsky, Marky’s has grown to encompass retail outlets in New York and Florida and restaurants, offering a range of gourmet goodies, as well as 15 species of fish eggs. To give a tin that will look pretty on every table, choose Saint Urgeon, the newest caviar collaboration curated by Executive Chef of Marky’s Caviar and Bravo Top Chef winner Buddha Lo. Sourced exclusively from sustainable sturgeon farms carefully chosen by the Marky’s team, Saint Urgeon aims to offer high quality caviar at accessible prices.
Select from a number of Eastern Shore varieties, like the “Little Bitches”($79 for 50) – oysters so named because they are incredibly hard to grow, but oh-so-delectable, pick a sampler or get some that are hand-selected for size or sweetness from this Virginia farm focused on sustainable practices.
The Indulgent Collection is exactly as advertised — caviar, smoked salmon and foie gras, to really … [+]
This Michelin-starred restaurant, which has been serving caviar in Manhattan for more than 20 years, sells domestic caviar as well as caviar sourced and hand-selected from their own sustainable sturgeon farm in Germany. Caviar Russe does not source any product from China or Chinese sources. For an ultra-luxurious gift, send the Indulgent Collection ($230 and up), packed with foie gras, smoked salmon and 50 grams of the caviar of your choice, along with blinis, crème fraiche and serving utensils. The company also offers luxury tableware to accompany their caviar sets, which makes a lasting gift after the bumps are consumed. Bonus —if you are in New York or Miami, you can get same day delivery.
It’s only oysters – and you have to buy a minimum of 50, but they will keep in your fridge for weeks if stored properly. With a completely different “merroir” from their northern counterparts, they are a great starter oyster for folks new to home-shucking— petite, buttery and with a very deep cup. Be sure to grab some Murder Point swag – I know I’d love a t-shirt emblazoned with “Oysters worth killing for.”
Try caviars that are usually only available to top chefs with this luxe kit.
This family-owned company with a nearly hundred-year history introduced a new Super-Premium Caviar Gift Set ($360) this season, featuring a selection of roe that is normally only available at wholesale. Enjoy Karat Israeli Osetra, with large-sized pearls and a brilliant appearance from chocolate to amber brown and a pleasing nutty finish; Imperial Dynasty Kaluga Hybrid, with a classic gold tint, grains that are truly spectacular in size and a subtle creaminess; and Romanian Beluga Hybrid, a chef-favorite with medium, glistening gray-black eggs that are crafted into a wonderfully balanced, creamy caviar. The trio comes in a handcrafted wooden box with a premium caviar spoon and key. You can also order just about everything else —they offer one of the widest varieties of seafood around, not to mention some awesome kits with excellent recipes.
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